The nextTalk Parent Podcast with Mandy Majors
The nextTalk Podcast with Mandy Majors helps parents navigate technology, cultural pressures, and difficult conversations with their children. Through practical guidance, honest stories, and faith-centered encouragement, parents learn how to replace fear and reaction with open communication, biblical wisdom, and stronger family relationships. Join award-winning author Mandy Majors (TALK and Keeping Kids Safe in a Digital World) for honest, practical conversations at the intersection of technology, culture, and faith. There are plenty of tools to control technology — but at nextTalk, we go deeper. We help parents build the kind of trusting relationship where kids actually come to them when something goes wrong. nextTalk is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to keeping kids safe by fostering a culture of open communication in families, churches, and schools.
Episodes
What happens when the parenting season you thought would never end suddenly does?
Mandy sits down with her husband, Matt Majors, for an honest conversation about becoming empty nesters and the surprising grief that comes when the noise, interruptions, and everyday needs of raising kids disappear.
Looking back over more than two decades of parenting, Mandy and Matt talk candidly about career decisions, finances, ...
Matt Riviere never imagined that one decision would take both of his sons, Andrew and Stephen. At 21 and 19, the brothers purchased what they believed was oxycodone through Snapchat. The pills were counterfeit and contained fentanyl, and both young men died. Matt joins Mandy to share their story and help parents understand how quickly counterfeit pills, social media, and experimentation can become deadly.
Matt also s...
What happens when the parenting principles you learned when your kids were little are finally put to the test in the teenage years?
Mandy welcomes longtime friend and former nextTalk co-host Kim Elerick back to the podcast to talk honestly about what she has learned after stepping away from the organization and focusing more intentionally on her family.
Kim shares how creating margin helped her move from project...
After more than three years of waiting, advocacy, prayer, and perseverance, Brian Montgomery returns to the nextTalk Parent Podcast with a major update in the fight for justice for his son, Walker.
In December 2022, Walker became the victim of an online sextortion scheme. An online predator posing as a young girl manipulated Walker into a compromising situation and then threatened to expose him. Within hours, Walker ...
What should you do if you discover your child has an AI boyfriend or companion?
In this episode, Mandy Majors sits down with nextTalk Operations Manager Merideth Zingelmann to discuss why children are turning to AI for friendship, affirmation, and romantic connection, and how parents can respond without panic or shame.
Instead of dismissing a child’s desire for connection, Mandy and Merideth encourage parents to...
What helps kids keep talking to their parents—even when the subject is awkward, uncomfortable, or potentially alarming?
Mandy welcomes her son Carter back to the podcast just days before he leaves for college. Carter gives parents an honest look at the digital and cultural pressures young people are facing today, including sports gambling, online gaming, sexualized content, locker room culture, explicit music, ...
Our kids are growing up in a digital world we can’t completely control, but we can build relationships that keep the conversation open. The nextTalk Parent Podcast is here to help parents navigate tech, faith, and culture together.
#nextTalkParentPodcast #ChristianParenting #DigitalParenting #ParentingTeens #FaithAndFamily
Connect with The nextTalk Parent Podcast:
Website:https://nextTalk.org/
Facebook: https://ww...
What actually helps teens talk openly with their parents?
In this special episode, Mandy sits down with her 18-year-old son, Carter, before he leaves for college to hear his honest perspective on parenting, communication, phones, boundaries, and growing up in a digital world.
Together, they reflect on what helped build trust in their relationship, why creating a safe space matters, and how parents can bala...
What should parents do when a child’s friend starts making unhealthy choices?
When kids open up about what their friends are watching, saying, or experimenting with, many parents instinctively want to immediately end the friendship. But reacting too quickly can shut down communication and teach a harsh kind of “cutoff culture” instead of wisdom, discernment, and healthy boundaries.
In thi...
A mom asked a question at one of our live events that sparked a conversation on our team.
She created a phone contract with her kids that included mutual phone checks—meaning she could look at their phones, and they could look at hers. Then she asked: “Is that ok?”
In the moment, Mandy said yes—affirming the mom’s desire to build trust and model openness. But afterward, our te...
What’s one simple parenting habit that builds trust?
In this episode, Mandy shares why saying what you mean—and following through—can shape how your kids see you for years to come. When parents are consistent with their words, it builds credibility, respect, and a sense of security in the home.
She also shares two additional thoughts for parents in the early years, including staying conne...
Last year, we shared a parenting story that went viral.
It was a simple moment—but it sparked a wide range of reactions.
In this episode, we go back and read real comments from that post and respond.
Some were encouraging.
Some were critical.
Some made big assumptions from a single moment.
We talk through what those responses reveal about parenting, marriage, and communica...
Parents have been raising concerns about social media for years—and now the courts are starting to catch up.
In this episode, we’re joined by Tori Hirsch, legal counsel at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE), to break down two major court cases involving Meta.
We unpack the New Mexico case, where the company was found liable under consumer protection laws, and the California bell...
If you’ve ever relied on a screen to get through a busy moment, you’re not alone—and you’re not a bad parent.
In this episode, Mandy Majors is joined by licensed marriage and family therapist Kristina M. Fields, MS, LMFT, to talk about the growing “iPad kid” trend and what it means for young children.
Together, they unpack how early screen habits impact brain development...
Online gambling is growing fast—and it’s reaching kids through their phones, games, and social feeds.
In this episode, we break down why sports betting has exploded, how gaming mechanics like loot boxes can mimic gambling, and why young men are especially vulnerable.
We also share practical, preventative conversations to start early, plus clear red flags to watch for if your teen is already str...
Parent Question: Something Is Off with My Teen—Now What?
When your teen suddenly seems different, it’s easy for your brain to jump to the worst-case scenario. New clothes, new friends, sharper attitude—and suddenly you’re wondering if something is seriously wrong.
In this episode, we talk about what to do when something feels off with your teen and how to take that concern seriousl...
Kratom and 7-OH are showing up in gas stations across the country, sometimes in energy-drink style bottles teens can easily access. Drug trend expert Jermaine Galloway (“Tall Cop Says Stop”) joins the nextTalk Podcast to explain what parents need to know about kratom, 7-hydroxy, and other hidden gas station drugs.
Parents may assume these products are safe because they are legal or labeled “natural,...
Belinda Swan brings front-line insight from NCMEC’s CyberTipline, where reports of sadistic online exploitation (SOE) jumped more than 200%. Unlike traditional sextortion, the goal here isn’t profit or sexual contact—it’s terror. It’s a threat that twists fear into action: hurt yourself, hurt someone else, or we’ll ruin you. We discuss how parents can spot it, stop it, and protect...
What if the real win in youth sports isn’t a trophy or scholarship, but a kid who knows who they are?
In this episode, we sit down with Merideth Zingelmann, Operations Manager at nextTalk and mom of three college athletes, to unpack a practical path for families who love sports but refuse to let it run their lives. From backyard games and rec leagues to varsity pressure and recruiting, we talk about how t...
A landmark verdict and two powerful medical pivots leave parents asking: how do we love kids well while pressing pause on irreversible decisions?
RESOURCES
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